I received my specially ordered canvas today, which needed to be a custom size of 18" x 48" for a specific totem image that I had and really wanted to tackle; one of those wonderful aging totems with a thin layer of yellow-green moss starting to grow of it. So when I got the canvas, I just had to proceed by plotting the totem onto it and committing to it.

So! while I was plotting and blocking in this other canvas, I was thinking that I now have 3 canvas in the works. At first I was thinking that I was just procrastinating and not finishing one painting before proceeding to the next. The reality is that the totem images/ideas are cueing up to be done, and besides these 3 which are started, I also have 2 more in my mind after that. But my wee studio can't handle more then 3 works in progress. Now if I had one of those 'respectable' studios which have adequate space, I could have as many going as I pleased. :-)

The other thing that I am pleased about is that I haven't started repeating myself yet. Each totem painting remains unique to itself. Even though I now have 3 exhibitions in 2015, my priority is to avoid the idea of cranking out paintings for the sake of numbers but staying true to the original goal of letting each totem image guide the journey.

Author

Andre Prevost, began his work in theatre in the late 70s after completing his studies at the Banff School of Fine Arts, and in his iconography in 1980, and having a large body of work in each. He has since been based in Western Canada; North Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and now back on the West Coast.